Study: Dropouts costly to selves, society

Armando Hernandez dropped out of school during the fall of his senior year, riding the train and watching TV to kill time while his classmates studied.

Two months later, as he volunteered to dish up dinner at a homeless shelter, Hernandez realized the mistake he'd made.

"It hit me that if I continued to be out of school, I could be the one sitting here," said Hernandez, 18, who is scheduled to graduate in June from Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School, an alternative program on the West Side. "It terrified me."

Hernandez's turnabout came before the costs to him and to society mounted, as noted in a report set for release Monday.

The report shows that the consequences of leaving high school without a diploma are higher than ever because the job market offers few well-paying options for workers with no high school credentials.

The analysis of the social, health and job ramifications of dropping out calculates the financial toll on dropouts and society. The results will be unveiled during a forum Monday in Chicago by a state task force launched last year to focus on re-enrolling dropouts.

"This shows what their lives will look like without the social skills getting a diploma means, without the academic skills getting a diploma means," said Jack Wuest, director of the Chicago Alternative Schools Network, which serves struggling students and dropouts.

"It's staggering, absolutely staggering."

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At a glance

In Illinois, an estimated 210,000 young people ages 16 to 24 aren't in school and don't have a high school diploma, according to the report's analysis of U.S. Census data. In Chicago, almost half the students who begin high school do not finish.